The Days That Follow
by ManhattanSky
Summary: It was the end of their worlds. But Beca and Stacie were learning to survive, despite the odds. they were alone, until another group of people cross their path. Will relationships grow? Or will the apocalypse destroy any hope of civilisation? - BeChloe slow burn. Apocalypse AU.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning Of The End

_**Welcome welcome welcome, awesome nerds. Are you ready? The end is nigh.**_

If somebody told you that the world was disposable, that every life on earth would cease to exist in a matter of seconds, would you laugh? Scoff? Come up with some unruly, sarcastic remark? You wouldn't believe them. You'd simply brush it off and call it a conspiracy. A hoax.

That is exactly what Beca Mitchell did. She can remember every word the newscaster had said, every emotion that had flicked across their face. It was something she was unlikely to forget.

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 _254 days ago…_

 _Beca and Stacie had just finished their Philosophy class, walking through the halls of Barden University. Despite her protests about attending her classes, Beca found that philosophy was insightful and gave her a new perspective of things. Learning about the Metaphysics of Causation, whilst being draining, had certainly given her something to think about. Of course, she wasn't going to tell her father that._

" _Hey Becs?" Stacie asked cautiously._

" _What's up?" the smaller brunette glanced up at her, seeing a nervous expression on her face._

" _Have you considered trying out for the Barden Bella's?" Beca had heard about the esteemed A Capella ladies of Barden University. Last year they had made it to Lincoln Centre before one of the members blew chunks all over the audience. Beca laughed inwardly at the rumour._

" _Dude you know I don't sing." Stacie just rolled her eyes._

" _Come on! I've heard you sing! You could literally put Madonna to shame." Beca couldn't help but laugh at her friends antics._

" _I swear if you're going to compare me to anyone, please don't let it be to Madonna. She's older than my mom and just as uninspiring." The two freshman laughed, feeling the pressure of the week's assignments lifting slightly from their shoulders._

" _On a serious note though, I was thinking of going down to the auditions they have going on later. Maybe I could put my skills to more useful things. Like making music with my mouth rather than-"_

" _OKAY. You do NOT need to finish that sentence." Beca wrinkled her nose, feeling heat rush to her face. Stacie responded by slinging her arm around the smaller girl's shoulder. They were heading towards the student lounge, hoping to find an empty air hockey table to pass the time. This was the place they frequented, becoming increasingly more popular among the freshman student body for their air hockey tournaments. So far no one had beaten the two brunettes, anyone who dared to challenge them to a game always walking away with away with their tail between their legs after claiming this would be their downfall._

" _You love me really." Stacie threw a wink in her direction, causing Beca to roll her eyes. It wasn't a secret to anyone that both girls were bisexual, and everyone was quick to assume they were dating, given how close they were. But despite the odds, they had always remained best friends, never coming close to more than platonic flirting._

 _When they pushed open the doors to the student lounge, the normal greetings were not thrown their way. The normal students milling about on the beanbags were nowhere in sight, and the normal thumping bassline of music was non-existent. Instead, the room was filled with the voice of a newscaster and a high buzzing sound ringing from the TV. A large group of students had congregated around the TV, staring intensely at the screen. Stacie and Beca pushed to the front, trying to see what had everyone so interested. What Beca heard made her heart drop._

" _\- authorities are urging everyone to get to higher ground, if possible away from tall buildings. Forget your belongings, just take yourselves and your loved ones. You must remain calm-"_

" _What's going on?" Beca whispered to the girl next to her. She glanced back nervously._

" _We don't know, it just started buzzing and now suddenly the world is ending." The girl chuckled nervously. Beca looked back at the screen, wondering whether it was a senior prank or something more than that. The newscasters face wasn't one she recognised._

" _-god bless everyone, we must all have faith and-"Beca just caught the woman's last words when a deep rumbling resonated through the room, causing the lights and TV to shut off. The brunette could feel Stacie gripping her arm as a feeling of terror started creeping its way up her spine._

" _Stacie relax, it was probably just an earthquake or something." Her reassurances were more for herself than anyone else. Stacie tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace._

 _The rest of the students started mumbling to each other, trying to ease the tension that was building around them. Beca knew she shouldn't, but her curiosity was getting the better of her. She made her way slowly to the windows, wanting to get a glance behind the curtains that were pulling tight. In the dark, she couldn't see where she was going, the small sliver of grey light behind the drapes being her only guide to the windows. Once she reached the window, her nerves had reached their high. Her hands were shaking, her breath coming out shaky and short._

" _Beca, where are you?" she could hear the fear in the other girls voice. The fear she could feel forming a lump in her throat, stopping her from replying._

 _She wasn't able to anyway._

 _The last thing she could remember was pulling the drapes away from the window as a loud boom pushed her to the floor. Glass sprayed everywhere, slicing her face and arms as her back hit the ground, knocking the wind from her lungs. Screams could be heard from all around her, followed by the sounds of infrastructure cracking and crashing around them._

 _She didn't know whether it was the pain or the shock, but she was paralysed, laying on the floor while people scurried around her. She could hear Stacie calling her name, but it was all fading, turning to background noise._

 _She could feel fear overcoming her. Fear for her friend, her safety. She was about to move, to try and get up, but something hard, possibly someone's foot, slammed into the side of her head. The darkness that consumed her was more terrifying than the reality she had fallen in to._

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"2 o' clock." Stacie's voice was quiet, hardly there at all. When this all began, the world had been in chaos, screams and sirens mingling in the air, intermingling with the cacophony of burning fires and the land opening and cracking. Now it was just silent. The only sounds the two girls had heard since the silence had begun was the sound of the stiflingly hot air rustling the dry leaves, or the rush of the stream that ran near their camp. It took them time to get used to the silence, but now they knew that the calm was their safety blanket.

Beca looked in the direction Stacie was referring to. In the dense woodland area, she could just make out a young deer meandering through the trees. Since the rains, some of the greenery had returned, but the land was still bearing the scars of the fires and… the events that occurred.

Beca made a quick few signs with her hands, telling her to wait, this was her kill. Beca readied her bow and arrows, a lucky find in an old weapons licensing store in downtown Georgia. They had an assortment of guns and knives in their backpacks, but the stealth of the wooden weapon was essential during hunting days. So far they hadn't had to use the guns, but it was always good to be prepared.

Beca aimed her arrow at the animal, taking a deep breath and letting it go slowly. The string that was resting against her face snapping as she let it fly. It found its home with a soft _thunk,_ and both girls watched as the deer fell. They signed a silent victory to each other, even though they knew they could speak again. It was becoming a habit.

Their boots crunched as they made their way over to their dinner. It was a young one; it barely had its antlers. A shot of guilt stabbed Beca's heart, but it quickly got pushed down by the hungry in her stomach. It had been three days since either girl had eaten a proper meal. Beca's cargo pants hung loosely on her hips, the frayed belt doing nothing to keep them up.

They had strayed further from their camp than they thought, but from the long days walking and hiking and lugging large bags of supplies around, they had quickly adapted to the new way of life. To the skies that never changed, only the shade of grey that got brighter and darker as the day progressed.

Walking out of the woodlands, Beca couldn't help but glance up at the sky now. It was a dark shade of grey, indicating that night would fall any minute. A song floated to the front of her brain, and she couldn't help but chuckle. She sang it quietly, feeling the irony in every note.

 _Ooh  
did you see the frightened ones?  
Did you hear the falling bombs?  
Did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when the  
Promise of a brave new world unfurled beneath a clear blue  
Sky?_

Stacie chuckled, bringing a smile to Beca's lips. They lived for the small moments where there was calm. Where life seemed slightly normal and not a constant fight for survival. Beca glanced down at the deer they were dragging between them. Her heart sunk. This was their normal now. This was the normal for everyone. This was what to be expected from the days that follow the end of the world.

 _ **A/N – let me know what you think? I'm thinking of making a full fic from this, and I'd love to know if that's a good idea. If you'd leave a review, that would be awesome :)**_


	2. Chapter 2: Shopping in the Mountains

_**How long has it been? Over a year? If anyone is still interested, here's another chapter. I'm trying to get back in to it.**_

The rest of the deer meat had been wrapped up in tin foil and packed into their cooler. They had chosen where to set up camp wisely. Their makeshift tents were set up to face the east so that they could see when the sun was rising from the openings of their abodes. It worked as an alarm clock for the two girls, always rising with the sun. To the left of their tents was a fast flowing river that stemmed from a natural spring about 100 meters up the mountain. It worked as a fresh water source as well as their cleaning area. Sitting opposite the two tents was their truck. Beca had been the one to find it hidden under a tarp outside an abandoned house. After a brief search of the house, they'd found the set of keys hanging on a hook in one of the cupboards. They'd loaded as many things as they could find in the house – blankets, pillows, tinned foods and matches – into the bed of the truck and high-tailed it back to their camp.

Beca and Stacie were currently laying in the bed of the truck, staring up at the sky. It was still that haunting grey colour. No matter the time of day, the season they were in, it was always grey. The only thing that changed was the brightness of it, the suns outline being the only indication of the time of day. They had expected it to disappear when the fires eventually stopped. When the billowing smoke cleared and the carnage could be seen. But the sky remained the same dull, lifeless hue. It was unnerving at first, but now it was if they had grown up to know it.

"Beca?" the smaller brunette turned her head to look at Stacie. She had a wistful look about her. "Yeah?" Beca replied cautiously.

"Do you think there's anyone left around here? Anyone… human?" the question caught Beca by surprise. They'd never spoken about the possibility of other survivors.

She thought carefully before answering. "I think maybe there could be. But I can't imagine they'd greet us with open arms." She scoffed slightly but the question was really making her think. Beca and Stacie had been alone for the entirety of the mayhem. For 254 days. When the fires had stopped, and the skies cleared of the smoke, the first thing they set about doing was finding a form of shelter. Any food and water they could salvage. It had been difficult at first. Neither of them had lived outside the comforts of a middle class American lifestyle. Learning to build a shelter, to forage for food and to hunt had taken time, but now they were naturals.

The only other people they had come to meet were the ones that had succumbed to the chaos. Their burnt bodies and fire ravaged brains. The mindless mumbling. The pained screams of the ones that had been affected from the start. That was the thing that Beca and Stacie had not yet got used to. Being chased. Fighting but refusing to kill. Hiding until those… things moved on to their next destination.

"Do you think anyone from Barden survived?" Stacie asked after a beat of silence. Beca hesitated again. This conversation was putting her on edge, not wanting to think about all the friends they might have lost. "I don't know Stace. I like to imagine that our friends are doing okay. That they're like us. Surviving." Beca sat up, not wanting to carry on this conversation. She jumped off of the tailgate, her heavy boots crunching against the frost that was slowly forming. It would be winter soon.

"Becs, wait." The smaller brunette turned around to see Stacie sitting on the end of the tailgate, her long legs dangling off the edge. She reached for Beca's hands, feeling the slight tremble. Stacie's eyes trailed over her face. How her cheekbones stood out sharp. The small frown line beginning to form between her brows. The deep ocean blue eyes that stared back at her, and the long jagged scar that went through her eyebrow, over her eyelid and stopped just below the apple of her cheek. She could see a faint blush beginning to spread over the smaller girl's cheeks.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you, okay? I've got you. Always." She ran her thumbs over the back of her knuckles. Beca nodded once before stepping away. She gave a small lopsided grin and held her fist up. She made a point with her index and did two circles in the air before retreating to her tent. Stacie chuckled softly and jumped off the tailgate, closing it gently. "Yeah… Always."

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Beca awoke to the sun shining through the billowing flaps of her tent. She rubbed her eyes, yawning as she stretched her aching muscles. She must have been shivering in the night, she realised, when she saw her breath cloud in front of her. It was definitely a bitterly cold morning.

The brunette started pulling on and lacing up her boots. She knew they'd have to do a supply run at some point. They'd need warm clothes and new boots in preparation for the winter to come.

Beca held her hand in front of her face as she emerged from her tent. The sun was pointing directly at her, just peaking over the grey horizon. The early morning frost crunched under her boots as she made her way to the crude fire pit outside the two tents. She figured she could put the rest of the deer meat on skewers and season it with some wild sage she had found whilst foraging. A small smile tugged at her lips, as she poked the glowing embers. This might be a good day.

Stacie, brought out of her slumber by the smells of smoke and rich meat, crawled out of her tent with a loud yawn. Rubbing her eyes, she smiled lightly at the sight of Beca slowly turning the skewers over the fire, the contents turning a dark brown as the flames licked the edges.

"Morning Becs." The smaller brunette and returned the smile. "Good morning." Beca stood, holding the skewer out for Stacie to take. Beca settled with her own, her back against the fire to warm up as she continued to watch the sun rise. No longer were the deep oranges and yellows, the light blue as the sky came to life. Now it was different shades of grey, slowly turning lighter as the day went on.

"I think we should do a supply run today. Down to that mall we found downtown a couple of weeks ago." Beca watched Stacie lower herself to the ground next to her, chewing slowly. The thing with Stacie, is she has to run ideas through her head at least three times before making a decision. That was probably the only reason the two girls had stayed alive as long as they had. With Beca supplying the ideas, and Stacie finalising all the small details. Beca could see the answer coming to life behind the taller brunettes eyes. _3…2…1…_

"Okay. I say we look for clothes and canned foods. Maybe blankets too. It's going to get cold soon." Stacie looked at her as if to confirm what she was saying was right. Beca smirked slightly and leaned close, so her lips were ghosting the taller girl's ear. "You read my mind." Stacie visibly shivered, earning a laugh from Beca. Their flirtatious banter was the only sense of normality they had salvaged. It was a reminder that despite the end of the world, the days that followed weren't all bad.

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Once they'd finished preparing for the trip, it was nearing midday. Their truck was loaded with the necessaries needed for a day's supply run; two large bottles of water, some canned vegetables and some of the blankets from their tents in case they couldn't make it back before night fall. Quite often if it was too dark to drive back to their camp, they'd sleep in their truck until it was light enough to drive back. The thought of the headlights and the revving of the truck attracting those… things when they could barely see five feet in any direction… it sent a shiver down Beca's spine.

Beca was just about to climb into the cab of the truck when Stacie called her. She stopped when the tall brunette ran over with a leather holster in her hand. She had one similar strapped to her thigh. "You should put this on." Beca cocked an eyebrow. Stacie sighed in frustration. "I know we haven't used guns yet, but I'd feel better if you at least had it there in case." Stacie kneeled down in front of the small brunettes legs and started to strap the holster to her thigh. They had never used the guns before. They'd never wanted to.

When Stacie had stood up, Beca sent her a questioning look. It was uncharacteristic for Stacie to be this cautious for a supply run they had made a number of times, and she knew it. The tall brunette sighed again. "I just have a bad feeling about this one. It's been quiet for weeks and I just want to be safe. Please, trust me?" Beca could see the desperation in the girl's eyes. Something she hadn't seen since the start. Beca relented, taking a small step back and smiling. She did the same circle motion with her index finger, then turned and climbed into the driver's seat, missing the broad smile and tears that appeared on Stacie's face.

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Beca was ecstatic. They'd arrived at the shopping mall around half an hour ago, after a 3 hour drive, and she'd already found a lot of necessities, as well as more premium items. When she'd came across the boxes of tampons and sanitary towels, she'd almost jumped for joy. They were running desperately low in their camp. She'd also found two pairs of thick hiking boots that were in both the girls' sizes – something they hadn't had in a long time. Beca had found multiple t-shirts and thick sweatshirts, along with sweatpants and furry socks. They'd be more than ready for winter when it came.

When they'd arrived at the mall, the two girls had divided their tasks; Beca would get any clothing and medicines she could salvage and Stacie would get any non-perishable foods she would find. They'd meet back at the truck in an hour, hopefully with enough stuff to keep them going through the cold seasons.

The stores had obviously been raided. The shelves had been knocked over and their contents scattered across the floor. The windows had been smashed and in some of the stores there were small puddles of congealed blood, as well as being smeared along the walls and door handles. This was one of the malls that Stacie and Beca had come across that was the least touched. Being in the mountains, a lot of people fled to the bigger cities in hope of finding an answer. It was there they stayed when the changes started happening. So not many people had populated the mall since then.

Beca was rifling through the men's boxers, choosing their comfort over the thongs that she'd found which she knew Stacie would love, when she heard clattering coming from the back of the store. The brunette whipped around, quickly pulling the handgun out of the holster and holding it above her flashlight. Her heart was pounding in her throat as she scanned the back walls, looking for any sign of movement. A row of collapsed shelves in the corner of the room caught her attention. It cast shadows behind them when Beca shone her flashlight on the area. The perfect place for someone… something to hide. The small brunette approached slowly, her palms getting sweaty. She readjusted the handgun in her hand, nearing the edge of the shelves where she'd be able to see behind them, and maybe use her gun for the first time-

"Beca!" Stacie walked into the shop, jumping back as a handgun pointed directly between her eyes. Beca was breathing heavily, her hands shaking as she lowered her gun. "Bec what's wrong?" Stacie ran a comforting hand down the smaller girls' arm as she caught her breath. She glanced behind her. "I thought I heard something." Beca shook her head and started collecting the folded clothes and items she'd found and put them in her rucksack. "What's up Stace? Did you find anything?" Beca looked back up to see the tall brunette's face morph into a broad grin.

"Oh I found something alright." Beca didn't realise she was holding one hand behind her back until it was coming between them, producing a CD case. "I know you'd rather drive in silence, but I found this and I figured you'd like it. It was in a small music shop between the convenience stores." she flipped the case over and a smile not unlike Stacie's appeared on Beca's face. It was David Guetta's 'Nothing but the Beat' album. The Album with titanium on it. Beca nudged Stacie and tapped her forehead twice with her fist. The taller brunette mockingly gasped. "Call me an idiot when you're jamming out to titanium bitch."

Beca would have laughed. She would have replied with a half-hearted insult to just get back at Stacie. She opened her mouth to speak when the same clattering sounded again. Only this time when she spun around with her gun drawn and her flashlight trained on the offending corner, bright blue eyes and flaming red hair stared back at her.

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 _ **if you could leave me a review that would be super awesome**_ __ __


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